Augmented reality – Spatial context and power in design

Augmented Reality (AR) will have important effects on the ways in which spaces and places take meaning for both users and non-users of AR. As the market penetration of AR increases, new claims will be made on certain spaces, superimposing AR contexts on the meanings and functions traditionally associated with these spaces, not only by AR users but also by AR designers and service providers, raising important questions about regulatory approaches to mitigating information and power asymmetries. We em-ploy the case of the popular AR smart phone game Pokémon Go to interrogate and comment on the potential effects of AR use and design on the construction of spatial meaning, the orientation of social relations, and distributions of social power